Sunday, November 30, 2014

New Wallen/Pountney opera — workshop performance in New York — Sunday December 7th, 2014

Errollyn Wallen

Errollyn Wallen writes:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Should you be in New York or Belize, here are some upcoming performances: 

Sun Dec 7th 8pm

cell theater 338 West 23rd Street New York, NY 10011

Center for Contemporary Opera presents:

SABINA SPIELREIN a new opera in progress by Errollyn


Sun Dec 14th 4pm

Bliss Centre for Performing Arts,
Belize City
Belize
Central America

Belize Music Feastival (A Feast of Music)

Concert including the music of Errollyn Wallen
– Belize premiere of Park Slope for violin and piano
Songs from The Errollyn Wallen Songbook featuring
Errollyn and children from the Belize School of Music

Weds Dec 17th 7pm

George Price Centre for Peace & Development, 
City of Belmopan
Belize

Concert featuring the music of Errollyn Wallen 


If you can't make any of these... you may enjoy the Cautionary Tales trailer – live from Latitude festival 2014.

Look out for it on tour next year!

Best wishes,

Errollyn


Errollyn Wallen MBE


IVOR NOVELLO AWARD FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC 2013

WINNER OF FIPA D'OR 2013 for Best Music for a Television Series (ONE NIGHT, BBC One)

HONORARY FELLOW, MANSFIELD COLLEGE, OXFORD 2014

Sergio A. Mims: WashingtonPost.com: The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Step Afrika! team up for ‘The Nutcracker’

Step Afrika!’s Magical, Musical Holiday Step Show in December, 2013 (Jati Lindsay © 2013/Jati Lindsay © 2013)

Sergio A. Mims forwards this article about a version of The Nutcracker which was recorded in 1960 by Duke Ellington (1899-1974), who is featured at AfriClassical.com.


The Washington Post
November 28



Forget the visions of sugarplums dancing in your head.
What about all the versions of “The Nutcracker” dancing on stages in every American city?

Tchaikovsky’s ballet may not have shaken the world when he first presented it, in 1892, but in the 60 years since George Balanchine’s landmark 1954 production for the New York City Ballet, it has become the holiday staple that funds half the rest of the season for many companies.

All manner of Nutcrackers have been performed, from rock to hip-hop. This year’s crop includes even a musical variant with puppets and a new score at Bethesda’s Round House Theatre.

Washington favorite son Duke Ellington put his own spin on “The Nutcracker Suite” in a 1960 recording with Billy Strayhorn. Its jazzy variations have been picked up by others; the work will be part of a National Symphony Orchestra pops performance with Cirque de la Symphonie at the Kennedy Center, Dec. 11-13.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is taking Ellington’s version a step further, adding the percussive rhythms of the District’s 20-year-old, widely touring step dance troupe Step Afrika! with new choreography for two family shows on Dec. 6.

“The impetus was thinking about how to create a new holiday program for our midweek youth concert and also for our family concerts,” said Carol Bogash, the vice president of education and community engagement for the BSO.
“I knew the Ellington version and really always enjoyed it,” Bogash said of “The Nutcracker.” “We wanted to present something that’s never actually never been presented before in this region: Ellington’s ‘Nutcracker’ with actual choreography by a professional step company.”

To do “Nutcracker” this time of year is a no-brainer, said BSO education director Annemarie Guzy. “‘The Nutcracker’ is wildly popular.”
They contacted Step Afrika!, whose founder and artistic director, C. Brian Williams, wasn’t familiar with the Ellington version.
“The first thing we did was, we bought the album and listened to it to see where we would find ourselves in that music,” Williams said. “There were some natural connections.”

In addition to his D.C. roots, Ellington was “a member of a historically black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.” Williams said. And it was in the African American fraternities where step dancing began.

John Malveaux: Maestro Henry Lewis Inaugural Award

Henry Lewis

Renee' Baker

John Malveaux of 
writes:

In 1932 Henry Lewis was born in Los Angeles. Like many professional musicians, he started piano lessons at an early age. Lewis attended the University of Southern California and was hired, at age 16, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a double bass player to become the first black instrumentalist in a major symphony orchestra.
After six years as a double-bassist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, he served in the United States Armed Forces (1955–1956) and played double-bass with and conducted the Seventh Army Symphony in Germany and the Netherlands
After returning to the USA, Lewis founded the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In 1961 Maestro Lewis made his professional debut as a conductor when he led the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in two concerts. He was appointed assistant conductor under Zubin Mehta, a post he held from 1961-1965. Maestro Lewis was named musical director of the Los Angeles Opera Company in 1965. Three years later, 1968, Maestro Lewis left to become musical director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, making him the first African-American director of a major orchestra in the United States. In 1972 Lewis made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera conducting Puccini’s La Boheme. Maestro Henry Lewis was the first African American to lead an orchestra at the Met. After retiring from the New Jersey Symphony in 1976, he toured as a guest conductor in all of the major opera houses. From 1989 to 1991, he was principal conductor of the Netherlands Radio Symphony.
From 1960 to 1979, Lewis was married to famed opera singer Marilyn Horne who often credits him with her early development as a singer. Lewis died from a heart attack in 1996 at the age of 63.
Maestro Renee’ Baker is music director of the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, She will conduct the Los Angeles premiere  of Roy Harris “Bicentennial Symphony” (orchestra & chorus) scheduled January 17, 2015, Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of California State University Los Angeles as centerpiece of a concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment to the US Constitution Ending Slavery. Please see http://www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org/about/.
Maestro Renee’ Baker will receive the inaugural Henry Lewis Conducting Award during a special ceremony honoring composer Roy Harris on the campus of California State University Los Angeles prior to January 17, 2015
The Concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment to the US Constitution Ending Slavery is a co-production of California State University Los Angeles Music, Theater, Dance Department and MusicUNTOLD with support from Colburn Foundation and Employee Community Fund of the Boeing Company.
Thanks
John Malveaux

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Sergio Mims: TheGuardian.com: English National Opera's unlikely star revealed to be US street dancer

 Banks-Artiste, real name James Davis, stars as the Angel Gabriel in the English National Opera’s latest production. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

When the reviews for one of the year’s most keenly awaited new operas came in last weekend there was one recurring question: who was the dancer stealing the show as the Angel Gabriel?

Today it can be revealed that he is Banks-Artiste, 25, a street dancer from Brooklyn who until this month had never left the US, let alone appeared on a major opera stage.

Banks, whose real name is James Davis, did not even have a biography in the programme for English National Opera’s production of The Gospel According to the Other Mary – he became a Twitter enigma with audience members tweeting the question, who is he?

The Daily Telegraph critic Rupert Christianson wrote: “The outstanding performer of the evening is a marvellously expressive flex dancer, gnomically identified in the programme only as Banks”; the Independent said “he presented physical power and eloquence that was more than the equal of the singing”; and the Guardian’s Andrew Clements called him a remarkable dancer who “comes close to stealing the show”.


Banks is a krumper and flex dancer – forms of street dancing – and it is fair to say his CV is relatively short. He has danced for the rapper Lil’ Mama, done a photoshoot for Reebok, and auditioned for the US show So You Think You Can Dance.

John Malveaux: Donnie Ray Albert is pivotal in the concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, January 17, 2015

Donnie Ray Albert

John Malveaux of 
writes:

Bass-Baritone Donnie Ray Albert is pivotal in the concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment to the US Constitution Ending Slavery schedule January 17, 2015, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, campus of California State University Los Angeles. Donnie Ray Albert will perform the male narrator role in the Los Angeles premiere of Roy Harris "Bicentennial Symphony", the solo narrator in Copland "Lincoln Portrait", and soloist (with piano accompanist Polli Chambers-Salazar) in an aria from Ulysses Kay's opera Frederick Douglass.  In addition to major roles on international opera and concert stages,  Donnie Ray Albert is also on the Music faculty of University of Texas. 
 
Donnie Ray Albert is a long standing member of the National Association of Negro Musicians founded in 1919. He attended the 2014 NANM national convention in Los Angeles. Donnie Ray Albert is recognized during Black History Month by the Metropolitan Opera Guild. See https://www.pinterest.com/metoperaguild/black-history-month-in-opera/
 
Thanks
John Malveaux

Dominique-René de Lerma: BLUMEHaiti.org Fall 2014 Newsletter: Message from Janet Anthony, President

Janet Anthony, President

This Newsletter is forwarded by Dominique-René de Lerma

Message from the President


Welcome to our Fall 2014 newsletter!

BLUME Haiti is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization working with Haitian and international partners to develop leadership skills, awaken individual potential and to create opportunities for social and civic collaboration, and economic development through music education and performance in Haiti.

In our last newsletter we noted that BLUME Haiti has offered support to 18 music programs in 8 of Haiti’s 10 departments serving close to 4,000 students click here for a map these 18 programs.) Since then, requests for support have come in from several more programs in far-flung provinces as well as in the Port-au-Prince area.To ensure to the best of our ability that your donations are well managed, BLUME Haiti only supports programs that we have personal knowledge of. To that end, I will be in Haiti in December and hope to make site visits to a number of new programs that have requested our support.

In this newsletter we would like to remind you that the holiday season is coming up – consider giving back by giving to BLUME Haiti duirng our holiday giving campaign. We also feature The Loft Violin Shop and Antonio Violins, two of our very generous sponsors, board member Scott Harrison, and a recent visit to the Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities made by board member Carolyn Desrosiers to screen a film she co-directed (Bel Son Productions – Kenbe La – Hold on) and to speak on activism through the arts.

Last year, more than 10,000 organizations in 46 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday.  This year, the third annual, global Giving Tuesday will take place on December 2nd and BLUME Haiti is proud to be part of this event.  So, what is Giving Tuesday? Coming right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this is a global day of giving that serves to bring together charities, families, individuals and businesses to “transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.” What will you give back on #Giving Tuesday?

I can’t tell you how many people in Haiti, youngsters and adults, have told me that music saved their lives. Music is a potent tool of communication through which we can move to feelings and emotions beyond the capacity of words to express.  Many Haitians grow up in circumstances unimaginable to most of us and, through their participation in music programs, find a way to move their lives forward in a positive direction. Program administrators, parents and students themselves tell us that studying music offers an alternative to gangs, violence, drugs, and prostitution and allows children to imagine a different future for themselves. Will you help us continue this mission?

Even a small, individual donation can have an oversize impact. In 2015 we hope to:
  • Increase the number of teacher salaries we supplement (currently we support teacher salaries in four programs)
  • Offer more scholarships to promising young students
  • Continue to bring instruments and supplies (sheet music, strings, reeds) to music programs throughout the country.
Please join us as we seek to change the life trajectory of many of Haiti’s youth.

If you would like to find out more about how you can help, contact: info@blumehaiti.org.
You may make a tax-deductible contribution directly online at: http://www.blumehaiti.org/donate.html

ChicagoCrusader.com: Lawrence University revisits historic 1941 concert by Marian Anderson


Marian Anderson (shown in a 1941 photo) was the recipient of the first scholarship ever awarded by The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., in 1919. (Photo credit: Post-Crescent Media) 






Barbara Wright-Pryor writes:

Dear Bill,
Attached is a link for the review written by Matthew Brockmeier of Lawrence  University's Concert in Tribute to Marian Anderson and published in the November 1, 2014 issue of The Chicago Crusader.
Musically yours,
Barbara

Barbara Wright-Pryor
PRESIDENT
Chicago Music Association



The Chicago Crusader

By Matthew Brockmeier, guest columnist

Story Posted:11/01/2014


Two days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Marian Anderson took the stage at Lawrence College’s Memorial Chapel in Appleton, Wisconsin, for a program running the gamut from George Frederic Handel to Negro Spirituals. On Sunday afternoon, October 26, 2014, nearly 73 years after the original concert, a host of artists recreated this program in a Marian Anderson Tribute Concert on the same stage.

The twenty works comprising Ms. Anderson’s program began with works by Handel, Bizet and Schubert before moving on to works by composers straddling the 19th and 20th centuries, including Massenet, Dvorak, Rachmaninoff and Quilter. This progression was emphasized by a movement from a range of languages, with German translations for Handel’s English-language pieces, to English settings for the Dvorak and Rachmaninoff works. 

Following these classical works, Ms. Anderson concluded her program with a set of traditional Negro Spirituals and songs, including Go Down Moses and Trampin,’ bringing her audience home to a wealth of American music.

Sunday’s concert by a strong array of performers, some home-grown at Lawrence University’s renowned Conservatory of Music, others from The Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee, was both a reprise of the original program and something new altogether.

The most obvious new aspect was the use of multiple voices, female and male, with sopranos and mezzo-sopranos, tenors, baritones and basses, and three accompanists, while the original program was simply Ms. Anderson singing to the accompaniment of pianist Franz Rupp. This very different approach meant that, except for a few key moments, it was not so much a Marian Anderson concert as a concert representing a wealth of talent, taking at least some of the music to places other than where it may have gone in the original.

The moments perhaps most akin to the 1941 concert were powerful vocal expressions by two sopranos, Cecilia Davis in Pleurez mes yeux from Massenet’s Le Cid, and Paris Brown singing Let Us Break Bread Together in an arrangement by William Lawrence. Ms. Davis, of The Heritage Chorale, was accompanied by Dr. Abe Caceras, also of The Chorale, while Ms. Brown, a 2008 graduate of Lawrence’s Conservatory, was accompanied by 2011 Lawrence grad Leonard Hayes.

Caceras and Hayes provided most of the accompaniment, with Kathy Handford of the Lawrence faculty playing for the concert’s first two works. As the concert unfolded it was apparent that both Caceras and Hayes had an excellent ear for the needs of the varied soloists for whom they played; never overpowering, always engaged.

Nothing short of a laundry list of all twenty works on Sunday’s program would do justice to what the audience enjoyed, but the field of male soloists included the depth, power and precision of bass Derrell Acon (LU 2010), the clarity and fine execution of baritone Garth Neustadter (LU 2010), the smooth clarity of tenor Steven Paul Spears, the powerful approach of tenor Leonard Martin (Chorale), the soft textures of baritone Michael Pope (LU 2012) and the rousing, heartfelt call of baritone G. Dwight Hamilton (Chorale).

Other women’s voices included the classic soprano voice of Teresa Seidl, the expressive mezzo-soprano Karen Leigh-Post (LU 1979), the delightful clarity and warmth of mezzo-soprano Michaela Usher (Chorale), and a good rendition in good voice of Quilter’s Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind by soprano Erica Hamilton (LU 2007).

A highlight of the encore portion of the program was the heavily improvised and very funny Scandalize My Name, brought to full life by Ms. Brown and Ms. Hamilton. An all hands on deck reprise of the rousing Honor, Honor, first sung by Mr. Hamilton, concluded the program, with piano four-hands by Caceras and Hayes.

While there were more voices and hands onstage in 2014, there were fewer ears in the audience. Accounts of the original concert told of a crowd estimated at 1,800, greater than Lawrence’s enrollment at the time, and also far more than today’s seating capacity of 1,184, in a configuration similar to the University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall. Sunday’s audience of about 200 was appreciative but not standing room.

The story of the Marian Anderson Tribute Concert does not end with the music. It is likely that no serious mention of Ms. Anderson can exclude a discussion of race in America in the 20th century. There is, of course, the best-known story of Marian Anderson being snubbed, but turning that snub by the Daughters of the American Revolution into the victory of performing for a crowd of 75,000 fanning out from the Lincoln Memorial. Even so, snubs, greater and lesser, continued, including in Appleton two years after her Washington D.C. triumph, when she was denied service in the dining room of the hotel that grudgingly allowed her to stay overnight.

To its credit, Lawrence is also hosting a “pop-up” exhibit created by the History Museum at the Castle entitled “A Stone of Hope: Black Experiences in the Fox Cities,” which runs through October in Lawrence’s Seeley G. Mudd Library. This exhibit includes details on the harsh racial climate that characterized Appleton and environs, especially during the first half of the 20th century. That exhibit and Marian Anderson’s experiences throughout her career, underscore, if nothing else, the high cost of bigotry, not only to the individuals who suffered, but to the society that squandered their gifts.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Rick Robinson: Newsflash - CutTime Wins $10,000 grant for Knight Project! Attend Concert Fundraiser at Studio D in Birmingham Friday, Dec. 5, 7-10 PM


Rick Robinson writes:

November 28, 2014 

Happy Thanksgiving!   

CutTime and I have great news to share: a major foundation this week awarded The Miami Foundation $10,000 towards CutTime's Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Detroit project. This project professionalizes and expands our ongoing Classical Revolution Detroit series (CRD), spreading the joys of classical music throughout Detroit. This, plus a recent private fundraising event put CutTime within $4,500 of matching the $30,000 challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. However, we must make the match by our deadline of December 15 and need your help.

CutTime is having a big concert fundraiser at the fabulous Studio D Art and Music Gallery in Birmingham, MI (next to Robot Garage) Friday, Dec. 5  7:00pm - 10! Please attend if you're around and hear CutTime Simfonica play symphonic favorites below, and jam some blues/rock with owner-singer Robert Dempster's Café Boheme! Plus we'll formally announce the granting foundation mentioned above.

This event is sponsored by Mrs. Barbara Van Dusen and Broadsword Solutions, another leader in innovation. 


Please forward this email to friends in the Birmingham area! It's free to enter, but bring a blank check to fill out AFTER the concert (to The Miami Foundation) to put us over the top.
Or, if you'd prefer to contribute by credit/debit card, ahead of time or in absentia, make a tax-deductible donation to The Miami Foundation's CutTime Fund online here


Be the hero and let's celebrate club classical together!

Comment by email:
Thanks a lot Bill! I hope to meet you someday!  [Rick Robinson]

Indiegogo Campaign of Harlem Renaissance Opera 'Voodoo' is 86% funded; it closes at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Voodoo, a Harlem Renaissance Opera by Harry Lawrence Freeman

$17,120 raised to date of $20,000 goal

This update comes to us from Dominique-René de Lerma,


A Historic Rediscovery of Harry Lawrence Freeman's Long-Lost Music

Short Summary

Morningside Opera, Harlem Opera Theater, and The Harlem Chamber Players are joining forces to present a semi-staged concert production of the Harlem Renaissance opera Voodoo by Harry Lawrence Freeman, which will take place at Miller Theatre of Columbia University at 116th Street and Broadway on June 26 & 27, 2015 at 7:00 PM.

This will be the first performance since its 1928 premiere!

A contemporary of Scott Joplin, Harry Lawrence Freeman was well-known in the Harlem community and gained acceptance in classical music circles in the 1920s – 1940s. He won numerous awards, and his operas were performed on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall. Despite these achievements, most of his operas remain unpublished, and there are no professional recordings of his music. Your support will help us create history by bringing Freeman's long-lost music back to the public.

Bill Doggett: May I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.

Bill Doggett writes:

May I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.

As we awaken, we are so fortunate to do so.  Let us count our blessings and give thanks to those who made and make our journey possible.

Cordially,
Bill Doggett

Comment by email:
William:  How very nice of you to include my Thanksgiving greeting in the Blog today.  With great appreciation,  Bill Doggett

Eric Conway, D.M.A.: Special Thanksgiving Blessings To All From the Conways

Eric Conway, D.M.A.
Fine and Performing Arts Department, Chair
Morgan State University

Baltimore, Maryland

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

John Malveaux: Maestro Renee' Baker will receive the inaugural 'Henry Lewis Conducting Award' during a special dinner honoring composer Roy Harris

Renee' Baker

Henry Lewis

John Malveaux of
writes:

The score for Roy Harris Bicentennial Symphony includes orchestra, chorus, solo male and solo female narrator parts. The Los Angeles premiere is scheduled January 17, 2015 as centerpiece of the concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution Ending Slavery at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex. The composition is chorus driven with text from the Preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation and original text. Maestro Renee’ Baker will conductor the Los Angeles premiere performance; Bass-Baritone Donnie Ray Albert is the solo male narrator and Soprano Renee’ Baker is the female narrator. Maestro Baker prior credits include composer, painter, poet, and violinist/violist. The roles of conductor and female narrator by Maestro Baker for the Los Angeles premiere of the Bicentennial Symphony may not have a precedence in music annals. Maestro Baker will receive the inaugural Henry Lewis Conducting Award during a special dinner honoring composer Roy Harris on a date to be announced before the premiere.

The Concert is a co-production of CSULA Department of Music, Theater, Dance and MusicUNTOLD with support from Employee Community Fund of the Boeing Company and Colburn Foundation.


Thanks
John Malveaux

John Malveaux: 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment Coincides With Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend; Jumi Kim Sings 'Candlelight' by Joopoong Kim

Soprano Jumi Kim

Joopoong Kim

John Malveaux of 
writes:

The Concert to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment to the US Constitution Ending Slavery scheduled January 17, 2015 at Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of California State University Los Angeles coincide with MLK Jr. weekend. South Korean educator/composer Dr. Joopoong Kim will contribute an original poem with music extolling the legacy of Dr. King titled CANDLELIGHT for Soprano. Soprano Jumi Kim, with piano accompanist Mary Au, will sing CANDLELIGHT in Korean language with English translation shown on overhead screen. The concert is a co-production of California State University Los Angeles and MusicUNTOLD with support from Employee Community Fund of the Boeing Company and Colburn Foundation. See attachments/pictures

Thanks
John Malveaux

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Marie-Josée Lord, a Prize-Winning Canadian Soprano who was born in Haiti, releases 'Amazing Grace,' her second classical CD on ATMA Classique

Amazing Grace
Marie-Josée Lord
ATMA Classique (2014)

Wikipedia says: "Marie-Josée Lord is a Haitian-born Canadian soprano.  Lord was adopted from Haiti at the age of six..."  The encyclopedia reports she was raised in Levis, in a rural area of Quebec.  Her English website is:
http://mariejoseelord.com/en/

Marie-Josée Lord, Soprano

In 2005, Marie-Josée Lord was the recipient of the Prix d’Excellence de la Culture, awarded by la Fondation de l’Opéra de Québec, and was selected to represent Canada at the Cardiff Singer of World Competition. She won the Public Prize at the Canadian Lyric Fund Competition, and received the Raoul-Jobin Prize in 1998. Her first solo CD, which was recorded with the Metropolitan Orchestra and under the Giuseppe Pietraroia’s baton, allowed Marie-Josée Lord to win a Félix in the category Album of the Year, in 2011— Classic Vocal. Released on the ATMA Classic in November 2010, the album had a great success with over 30 000 copies sold to date. Nominated also in 2012, for the Junos Prize in the category Album of the Year.


Madame Lord made her professional debut in the autumn of 2003, singing Liù in the Turandot Opera (Puccini) at l’Opéra de Québec. In February 2004, Montreal music lovers were seduced by her performance as Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème at l’Opéra de Montréal, where she also performed Laoula in l’Étoile (Chabrier) in October 2005.



In September 2006, Marie-Josée Lord opened Montreal’s Opera season with the title role as Suor Angelica (Puccini). Recently, she was also heard as Marie-Jeanne in the World Premiere of the Operatic version of the celebrated musical Starmania (Plamondon/Berger) at l’Opéra de Québec in May 2008, and at l’Opéra de Montréal in March 2009. In the early fall of 2009, she brilliantly held the role of Nedda (I Paggliacci) at l’Opéra de Montréal. By the spring time of 2012, Marie-Josée Lord carried out the role of Meg Page in Falstaff (Verdi) at l’Opéra de Québec. Her irresistible charisma, generosity and passion for lyrical art make her an outstanding guest for many TV and radio programs, such as: “Tout le monde en parle”, “Studio 12”, “En Direct de l’Univers”, etc. On October 28th 2012, Madame Lord made her debut in Toronto, performing at the prestigious Koerner Hall Royal Conservatory.




Marie-Josée Lord has performed several times with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Quebec Symphony Orchestra and Montreal Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kent Nagano, Yannick-Nezet Seguin, Paul Nadler and many others.

Monday, November 24, 2014

John Malveaux: Donnie Ray Albert to be narrator in L.A. premiere of Roy Harris' 'Bicentennial Symphony' & Copland's 'Lincoln Portrait' Jan. 17, 2015, CSULA

Donnie Ray Albert

John Malveaux of 
writes:

MusicUNTOLD and California State University Los Angeles will not program Ulysses Kay's ONCE THAT WAS A MAN with Grammy Bass-Baritone Donnie Ray Albert as solo narrator during concert to celebrate 150th Anniversary of US Constitution 13th Amendment Ending Slavery on January 17, 2015 at Luckman Fine Arts Complex as previously reported. However, Donnie Ray Albert is scheduled for the male narrator in Roy Harris's BICENTENNIAL SYMPHONY, Los Angeles world premiere and Copland's LINCOLN PORTRAIT. He will also sing a short aria from Ulysses Kay's FREDERICK DOUGLASS opera with pianist Polli Chambers-Salazar and the following text:

Like a coat of many colors,
see this land ordained by God!
First among its many brothers,
stained with weeping, stained with blood!
Look along the far horizon-
See them coming, the lost, alone-
to this land of many colors
does not a Father call them home?
Then shall the day be the prophets spoke of:
out of the hunter shall come forth sweet:
and like a coat of many colors
the land shall be theirs and they shall be free!
sound loud the timbrell over Egypt's dark see-
Jehovah shall triumph, his people be free!

Thanks
John Malveaux
www.musicuntold.com

Comment by email:
Thank you Bill.  I wouldn't have known anything if​ you hadn't copied me. ~Virginia  [Virginia Kay]

John Malveaux: Los Angeles Premiere of Roy Harris' 'Bicentennial Symphony' on 150th Anniversary of 13th Amendment January 17, 2015, 7:30 PM, CSULA

 

John Malveaux of 
sends the above announcement of a Co-Production of CSULA Department of Music, Theater and Dance and  MusicUNTOLD, on the Campus of California State
University Los Angeles.  The Host is Dennis Bartel of KUSC Classical Radio 91.5, KUSC.org.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

John Malveaux: Dr. Zanaida Robles Directed Glendale Community College Chamber Singers & College Choir in Afrocentric Program November 22, 2014

Zanaida Robles

John Malveaux of 
writes:

Dr.  Zanaida Robles debut as director of Glendale Community College Chamber Singers and College Choir on November 22, 2014 suggested a talent destined for major United States and International stages. Dr. Robles navigated the audience and singers through over five hundred years of strategically selected choral music with picture precision and compelling enthusiasm. The comprehensive program included African descent composers Adolphus Hailstork (Ye Shall Have a Song), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (The Evening Star), Rosephanye Powell (I Dream A World), and Byron Smith (He’ll Make a Way). See photo/attachment
John Malveaux